The Joys of a Married Life
by RevanBodyguard
Summary: Post-FFXV universe. Gladiolus and Cidney are newlyweds but are separated by bound duties and attachments to their respective homelands. Distance only seemed to make the heart grow fonder and raise high sexual tensions between the two working spouses. The Royal Bodyguard took time away from household duties to pay the Head Mechanic a visit. Gladiolus x Cidney, GladioCidney.


**A/N: This is my first attempt at writing smut/lemon/whatever and it wasn't easy because I've never done it before, but never say never because it ended up being this ship I fell hard for who gets the smut. Not my first time writing Gladiolus/Cidney because I'm in the middle of doing my own rendition of Episode Duscae with those two in one of the focus. The smut needed to be done first. So rating is M and this is a one-shot.**

**Canonically, sure, Cidney turned down both Gladiolus and Prompto in Episode Duscae. She strikes me as a someone who is more into cars because I personally believe she has an ear for when there is something wrong with the engine or something is caught in the muffler and she has the magic touch to repair cars that most mechanics are not dedicated to do the miracles she could perform to get things up and running that she could have charged far more for, but doesn't because she manages her own hours and can gauge reasonable prices for the labor she has to do. She is the bomb. She is the Cid who would inherit the business when Cid retires and Cid is the title. So if Gladio and Cidney were to get married, it'll be my joke that Cidney has to tell him upfront that he will be the mistress while she has her true love of cars and he would jokingly be upset that his feelings have taken the backseat in Cidney's heart lol **

**I created a Cid long before I saw Episode Duscae so it's not her father in this… If grandpa, well, that would be ****_biologically_**** correct, but Cid here is a transgender woman and Cidney's grandmother. I'm going to stick with that than a father to be honest, already gave Gran Cid a personality, ha. Oh and hah… I gave Cidney a name and created Amicitia OCs XD**

**I hope this isn't too bad… I'd like to know what you think of it. I uploaded this to my Tumbler as well.**

Gladiolus Amicitia grinned as he pressed his head against the cool tiles as the streams of warm water from the shower head crashed down on his shoulders. Showers are the same whether he's back in Lucis or out in the Duscae region, maybe because of how it has been pretty warm this season and nothing beats a hot shower to counter it.

"Hey, you're not dead in there, are you?" A playful, singsong voice accompanied by a few knocks hollered from the other room.

"Nope!" He called back. "Be out in just a sec!"

"Just making sure! You fell asleep in the shower last time!"

"That was one time, babe!" He countered, recalling his chagrin when last time traveling all the way from Lucis to the Coernix Station - Alstor weighed fatigue heavily on his body that he fell asleep in the shower, water still running and when Cidney deemed that the time he spent in there was too long, she and her grandmother nearly broke the door down to 'rescue' him. As much as she got enjoyment from teasing him for that blunder, the expression on her face at the time was priceless. Cid's, however, was not so. He knew the old woman cared about her grandson-in-law, but the only one she would marginally be 'soft' for is her granddaughter. And that's pretty obvious in her hardened and protective demeanor.

A series of giggles can be heard over the roar of the shower. He wondered what she was plotting. Having the entire station to themselves, time apart, and the two being newlyweds, he was certain that she had her plans of what to do during his stay. Shutting the water off, he reached for a set of towels resting on the rack for him, he wanted to go beyond her expectations.

"Hey babe, where are you?" Gladiolus called out, towel around his waist and another around his neck and over his head. Her voice wasn't hard to hear so she was calling for him behind the bathroom door but she was nowhere to be found.

"Over here." Cidney rang out. Though not indicating her current location, Gladiolus knew that the voice came from their bedroom. _Eager, aren't you?_ He thought devilishly as he ruffled his hair dry with the towel as he advanced to the bedroom.

His wife dressed in her casual pajamas was lying on her stomach staring down on her phone, a video of some sort streaming from the device. She looked up when Gladiolus walked in and she smiled, rising from their bed. "Hey, Knock-Out," her hand still holding the device, she hadn't paused what it was playing as she spread her arms wide and Gladiolus leaned down to meet her short stature as they embraced. She pecked his cheek. "Took ya long enough in there."

His arms were wrapped around her waist as they stared at each other, he grinned seeing that her attention was on him and not the video she neglected to pause or mute when sudden applause and cheers boomed over the phone's speakers. "Whatcha watching there?" He jerked his bearded chin to her hand.

"Mmm. A game." She responded, her body shifting in his arms as she brought her phone's screen to his level. "You were taking so long in there the game started without you."

"But that's my team. Your favorite's sworn rival." Gladiolus frowned slightly. He and Cidney found that they enjoyed watching competitive sports in their free time and found that their favorite teams were rivals that met neck to neck in their games. Because of their allegiance to their respective teams they often would be competitive and fiercely cheer their teams on, rubbing the sore loser's face in the end when their team lost.

"So? Right now they're beating a team I sure don't care for so they're okay in my eyes… For now."

"Ah, they warmed up to you, have they?"

"Don't think for a second that I turned coat. I'm loyal to the end for my team and being married to you doesn't change that."

He pecked her forehead. "So this is your plan for us tonight? On the first night I'm staying?"

"Mmm," she hummed in thought before grasping the large man's hand in her own towards the bed. He climbed on the bed, the cheap bed squeaking under their combined weight as he sat behind Cidney and she leaned against his chest before he wrapped his arms around her. "If you're tired. You woke up early this morning to get here in the afternoon… I have no idea what you have in mind, Mr. Amicitia…" Her green eyes darted from his face to his naked upper body. Suddenly, his attention was drawn to her full pink lips slightly parted. _Damn…_

It was true that he woke up early because he was eager to see her whenever chance he got. As in every chance he took to travel all the way to Duscae to see her when he was dating her. This afternoon made no difference.

—

Cidney's eyes flashed with delight when she saw him. She nearly dropped everything, the current job she was working on and the customers waiting on her, to run up to Gladiolus and greet him. Even covered from head to toe in motor grease, he didn't care that the stuff got smeared on his skin and clothes and smothered his woman with kisses and possessive hugs.

"You're here." He did tell her the night before that he was going to come, just never the time because it can be unpredictable to escape Lucis fast enough but her face always lit up on his arrival. He never could get tired of seeing that expression. "Early too."

"I couldn't keep the lady waiting. And I had time off so who else I had to see?"

"Oh shucks," She pouted, looking down at his bare torso and chest. "I forgot that I was covered in motor oil again…" She summoned a clean handkerchief from a back pocket to dab at him.

"Leave it." He laughed before crushing her into another hug. He lifted her chin up and firmly connected their lips as his hands held her by the lower back. This type of kiss nearly stole her breath away when they broke apart.

The couple's time at reuniting was brief.

"Cidney Amalia Róisín."

"Uh oh." There was no thought in question on who would address Cidney by full name.

"Oh!" Cidney jumped. "Gran! I was just…" The words tumbled out of her mouth immediately and when she paused, she breathed out nervously, scratching her curly blonde hair underneath her hat.

"I believe you have customers waiting on you." The elderly proprietor's wrinkled hands gripped at the handle of her cane while resting her narrowed eyes on the young happy couple. "Get to it."

"Heading back to work right away!" Cidney amended for her lack of mindfulness with a quick nod and salute.

"Maybe I could lend a hand," Gladiolus offered, rolling up his sleeves. When he first stayed at the inn at Coernix Station, Cidney had taught him the basics of car repair which were pretty rudimentary in comparison to how experienced she and Cid were, but Cidney had her full work schedule already before her.

She shook her head, patting his arm. "Relax. You just got here. Make yourself at home. See you around dinner, 'kay?" She assured him before running back to work.

The old woman stared him down. "You look well."

Gladiolus chuckled. "Yeah?" He could tell Cid liked him despite her qualms that his presence distracts Cidney from work but those misgivings have quieted down since he married Cidney. Cid had reminded him that nothing has changed and she was still Cid to him and he was 'You' to her. Not that he minded, he was allowed to stay as long as he liked so long as he did some work around the station. Nice to know that things haven't changed. I don't think I could ever call her 'Grandma' or 'Grandmother-In-Law', transgender woman or not, she could kick my ass. "You do too." He complimented with a thumbs up.

"But too skinny!" She punctuated sharply with a pounded strike from her cane on asphalt. "You Lucians don't eat nearly enough, do you? Come inside and eat. Then I'll put you to work."

"Yes, ma'am!"

—–

For the couple's wedding gift, Cid had a house constructed on site around the station made for them. It was a one story home made for two with two rooms, a kitchen space, and a bath. Cidney had suspected that it was because of the noise they had made while Gladiolus had visited them when the two were still dating. Her suspicions were accentuated further that whenever Gladiolus visits, Cid would dismiss herself from the site with the excuse that she needed to conduct business in Lestallum or that she was to stay with her friends' during the duration of his stay.

_"I guess that's why Cid couldn't keep her eyes off me. I'm that good!" Gladiolus had told Cidney in response to the new development and Cidney had rolled her eyes with a scolding, "I think your big ego would do you in one day."_

And just as this visit wasn't any different, Cid had left them alone to themselves.

Even though Gladiolus and Cidney were a married couple now, they had to make time to visit each other in their respective homes. Occasionally, they would go on trips together, further fulfilling one of her lifetime dreams of traveling the parts of the world she only heard stories of prior to meeting Gladiolus. Cidney felt that she didn't want to move in just yet in her own reservations of leaving Cid alone and Hammerhead. Gladiolus had offered that he could move Hammerhead to a more commercialized area so that they could get more customers and due to his social status, they could have a house built for them as he could not imagine living in House Amicitia's family of six with his new bride. She turned down both of his offers and said she wanted to think more on it for a while. Not that he minded, he allowed his wife to do whatever her heart desired and he suspected that though she was fascinated with the city life especially the royal capital, her heart was set in the countryside. He could not stay indefinitely with her in Duscae because of his bloodline duties placed since the day he was born to protect the prince now King Noctis Lucis Caelum CXIV. He still found time to come visit his wife.

"Helloooo!" A hand waved in front of Gladiolus' face. "Earth to hubby!"

Gladiolus caught her hand and rested his chin on her shoulder. "What?"

"The game ended. Your team won, no big surprise, but you would be whooping about their victory as usual right now." She glanced at Gladiolus. "Are you tuckered out?"

"Nah," He shook his head, still immersed in how soft and warm his wife was and inhaled the scented perfume she had on. "Was thinking how far we come. A little wedding ceremony there and I think Cid actually is warming up to me."

She put her phone down. "There's no reason for Gran not to like you. I personally think she naturally does over doing it for my sake." She closed her eyes. "Was it hard for you to be in Lucis without me?"

"I think my family's more affected by it than I am." He laughed which then received a slap to the chest. "Aww, of course it is! I don't get to see my wife when I come home from a long day of babysitting the king. Which isn't as hard as you think it is, he still sleeps in the middle of conferences."

"I've been thinking…" She reached out to stroke Gladiolus' dark mane. "Of taking some time off so I can live in the capital with you." She announced quietly as she twirled his locks around her finger, appearing genuinely demure.

"Really?"

With a nod, she added, "To see if I'm okay with the possibility of living as Mrs. Amicitia." Gladiolus' face dropped to which to her horror, she became flustered, wiggling uncomfortably in his arms. "I mean, we never actually lived together and we're married now!"

Gladiolus nuzzled her affectionately. "So cute. You want to know what it's like to be my wife." While it was true that they never lived together, a few days stay for at least a month didn't cut it, she didn't need any obligations to stay with him - he didn't think that he had to act any differently now as a husband so neither should she._ Etro, we haven't had _**that**_ talk yet._

Her head dropped forward. "Let me go…" She whined pathetically.

"Never." He affirmed and pecked her cheek. "It's not that different than our arrangement now…" His lips traveled down to her neck and she let out a little gasp when he sucked lightly there. "We still have each other and do the little things…"

His hands, massive and covered any width and area they roamed, were still skilled and nimble enough to scale Cidney's body through her clothes. As he licked the shell of her ear, his hands were happy to find that it didn't take Cidney long for her nipples to become stiff through her thin pajama top. Pressing his thumbs against them, he added in a sultry whisper, "You were thinking of this, weren't you?" It made sense by the constant nonverbal flirty eye contact, the fleeting brushing of hands, and being elusive to his attempts during dinner. The suggestion of watching a game together could possibly be a ruse too.

She shuddered at his touch, grasping at his thigh for support as she arched her back to him. She turned to him, her eyelids dropping half-mast as she looked at his lips, welcoming him with a small smile.

Her hand reached out to touch Gladiolus' face as her lips met with his passionately. In the midst of the man unbuttoning her top, he suppressed an animalistic growl, finding that she was subtlety grinding her clothed bottom against his barely covered manhood. _Not for long she'll be…_

It didn't take much persuasion or force on Cidney's part to have her clothes removed. He was enticed at the next step of seeing her stripped and bare before him. Once the top was unbuttoned, his hands smoothed over to the collar and pulled down the sleeves, trying to contain himself and not to rush to it. Once her arms were freed, they encircled around Gladiolus' neck as he slipped his hands around her ass and brought her to his lap, squeezing as her fingers wounded tightly in his hair.

"Gladio…" She huffed for air. _Oh man, I love it when she says my name like that…_

Bracing on to each other, Gladiolus gently laid Cidney on her back, marveling the unkempt beauty who stared up at him, a faint luminescent of red across her cheeks and her lips swollen from the nips and pulls the two exchanged. Pushing back the mass of blonde curls framing her face, he leaned in to gently press his lips against her forehead before turning his attention to the rest of her.

Cidney's body was tanned. A given from the hours she had worked outside on cars and other chores around Coernix Station. But the head mechanic wore a bikini top and short jean shorts and where they barely covered ended up several shades lighter than the rest of her body. She had no idea that these untanned parts of her are one of his favorite areas to address. He kissed across her chest, kneading at right breast he cupped in his hand while leaning down to take the other breast, a taut pink nipple into his mouth, teasing it with a few flicks of his tongue. His teeth gently enclosed around said nipple as he tugged and released it and alternated the same to the other breast. The act elicited a few approvals expressed in her writhing and he enjoyed every second of watching her bite down her lip in blissful pleasure.

Lowering his lips down her stomach and waist, he left a few love bites that Cidney would hate him for in the morning. Lightly licking and sucking over the inflamed skin, the bites would blossom and she would have some trouble in explaining the origin of them. Yanking a few inches of the waistband of her pants, he decided to give Cidney a break in concealing some of the love bites and nibbled lightly along her hip bones, the parts left untanned.

He murmured against her pelvis, "I love leaving you marked… How long would these last this time?"

"You gotta leave those there?" A feeble groan escaped her lips. "I don't have enough in my closet to cover those… Or makeup."

"Then don't," he huskily replied, breathing hotly and receiving her shivers under him. "I wear your hickeys proudly if you don't remember…"

Dragging down the waistband of her pants along with her panties and tossing both to the side, he concluded with, "I have a really sexy wife…"

She pouted, hotly replying, "You're not bad looking yourself…" Her ankle brushed alongside his inner thigh. "Just how are you still wearing a towel?" The towel came apart at her touch and fell past his waist. "It doesn't take much for you to get hard for me…"

"I'm barely keeping myself reined in for you, babe." Dragging his palms over her thighs, he coaxed her into spreading them and deliver her a little taste of what's to come. "I see that you're wet, but you're not ready just yet…"

Her entrance was slightly moist with her juices and the feminine musk basked him in, enhancing his arousal. His fingers probed her lips, teasing the sensitive nub of her core in slow circular motions. Her legs buckled as thought an electric current ran through her in response of his efforts and he held himself back, just to watch her eyes plead with him to keep going.

"Hah… Why did you stop?"

"No… You have to beg for it…" He raised his coated fingers to his lips, concealing his impatience well. A wave of euphoria passed the man with the sweet, salty essence of his lover lingered on his tongue and he was certain she felt the same way watching him taste her. He wanted to indulge on her longer.

"Please…" Cidney's pleas came out barely above a whisper. "Give me more…"

"The lady's wish is my command." He smirked, he could have stalled for more time to hear her delicious pleas, music to his ears, until he felt that they were 'sincere' but he felt too generous and just as eager to continue to torture his beauty this time. Instead of using his fingers again, he opted to using his mouth.

Cidney was at her wit's end, no snarky remark or resistance because when it came to Gladiolus and where he's dedicated to giving her the upmost pleasure, she came undone like putty in his hands. She found herself toes curling, back arching, hands clutching at bedsheets, and her hips grinding against his chiseled jaw as his tongue probed her repeatedly. And before she realized it and he felt the tell-tale tremors in the thighs pressed on the sides of his head, she came with a vengeance, crying out loudly at her release.

"Oh Etro… Do_ that _again!"

"Now, now, good things come in time." He chided, peering up to meet Cidney's gaze and ran a tongue over his lips. Good to see she enjoyed it as much I did. He crawled over to her and she sat up to meet his lips, but he wasn't done.

But neither was she. She stole the moment, much to Gladiolus' intrigue.

Firmly planting her hand on his shoulder, she applied enough pressure that Gladiolus found himself on his back, looking stunned when his voluptuous beauty's green eyes fixated upon him. He felt his breath hitch in his throat as though he was caught in her glamor before remembering to breathe. By reading that expression, she had a tendency to be just as dominant as her husband and nonverbally signaled that he wanted her to watch, not touch.

She was on her knees, straddling over one of his legs as she leaned forward to pay homage to Gladiolus' neck, her wet core slicked against his thigh and her perky breasts brushed up against his chest. Taking only one finger tip to glide up the shaft, she took his hardened length in her hand.

_Good girl, using what I taught—_ Gladiolus let out a hiss, it was a good reaction to Cidney left a love bite of her own along the side of his neck while stimulating the sensitive flesh. She didn't look concerned by his sudden cry, but laid down affable kisses across his collarbone. Her finger rested on his tip before rotating in small, meaningful motions before her fingers explored the sensitive skin of his scrotum with faint pinches and rolls. His member twitched to the new techniques she was performing beyond his expectations. "Damn…" _Okay! Where did she learn _**that**_?_

"Don't think of coming without me yet…" She purred, pecking his lips yearningly.

"Hard to do so when you're touching me like that…" He groaned, he didn't know what would pull over to the edge first, her dirty talk or how her hand was driving him crazy, slipping his control faster than he could grasp.

Cidney cried out in alarm when Gladiolus lifted her up without warning, pinning down her wrists promptly as soon as her back hit the mattress. The bed squeaked and shook at the aggressive momentum. She blinked at the dumbfounded expression that he was trying to dismiss with his usual assertive mask he has on during sex. His long, dark hair tickled her collarbone when he swept in for a deep kiss, his hands freeing her wrists as they caressed her jaw and neck.

His calloused hands outlined her form. From her breasts to her waist, he swallowed, a thick lump formed in his throat that he successfully dislodged. "You ready…?"

"What got you so serious, Knock-Out?" Cidney smiled, resting her hands on his shoulders, lifting her head to pepper over his scar above and below his left eye with kisses. "You're really a gentle teddy bear…"

Gladiolus smirked. "I'll take that as a yes then." He lifted her legs and raised them to his hips. "You're so lucky that you're the only one to call me that…" He sighed inwardly, shaking his head at being called a teddy bear when he preferred being her 'Knock-Out' instead.

He entered her slowly, guiding his erection through the familiarity of her entrance and the two lovers gasped in unison. Her, with his length and thickness expanding her inner walls and with him, the tightness of her walls squeezing him so lovingly between her legs. It took him a few slow thrusts for them to get adjusted to the feeling they haven't had in so long due to their separation.

"Fuck…" Gladiolus grunted, leaning in to huskily whisper, "You feel so incredible, Cidney…" His hands moved from the bed to fondle her breasts as he began to pick up speed with his thrusts. He focused on rocking his hips, prolonging the waves of pleasure to his partner every time he slammed them against Cidney's ass. She rather approved of his performance when in the rising intensity of her cries and raking her finger nails on his shoulders, deep enough to draw some blood. Not that he minded, the endorphins took care of that as he didn't steer away from achieving the sweet release they both needed. All he could think about was Cidney and only her.

"Ahh! Gladio! I'm so close!"

He didn't need her confirmation of her closing in to her climax. Her inner walls clenching around him more snugly informed him of it first. Hell, he was close to his as well, but starving it off by the seconds because he refused to come before she did. Her legs were weakening and her hands were yanking more urgently at his hair. Finally, their climaxes came in synch and his body finally caved in and lost strength to keep going and he found his body molding to hers, barely by the support of his elbows to keep himself from crushing Cidney.

She was breathing heavily as well, her arms enclosed the large man's form desperately as the two rode out the after effect waves of their climax together. He pulled out at last, rolling over to his side.

"Hold on, lemme… Catch my breath…" He panted with a hoarse chuckle.

Barely catching her breath herself, she goaded him with a lofty, "What? No round two or three this time?"

Observing his partner's cheeky expression behind a flushed face, he lazily reached out to tuck damp blonde curls away from her face, tucking longer lengths behind an ear. With a grin to meet hers, "You're sure you're ready for another round? You might want to think on that, sister." Gliding his fingers across her plump bottom lip, he haughtily added in a promise, "We'll have plenty of time for more while I'm still here and if not, I'll just have to steal you away from work…"

Cidney didn't say anything but her green eyes studied his amber eyes. She hummed teasingly when she feigned disappointment.

Gladiolus had an idea. He rolled over to his side, planting his cheek upon his wife's breasts and laid still as though he used the last reserves of his strength for this and he's not going to move an inch away.

Startled, she prodded at him with her hands but was unsuccessful in nudging him off her. "Hey!" Gladiolus ignored her, audaciously using his weary state to remain where he was and nuzzled his sported beard against her warm bosom. She felt the prickly jaw and it sent tingles throughout her body. "You really need to shave… And you need to get off. There is a pillow right there." She folded her arms, expectant of Gladiolus to look at her or obey her request.

He did neither and raised a breast to his lips and kissed it. "Mmm… Why would I do that when I have these pillows right here? So soft…" He knew that he wasn't crushing since he didn't put his entire weight on her. He wrapped his arms around her middle more securely, signifying further that he wasn't going anywhere. "I love you…"

She sighed, running her fingers through his hair, something that he adored especially when she massaged his scalp. "I love you, too…"

—–

Cidney woke up the next morning, stretching out her limbs and yawning. She noticed that her husband was gone, his bedside vacant. The sunlight was streaming through the curtains idly. Glancing at the fluorescent neon numerals from the clock on the bedroom dresser. She overslept from her typical break of dawn regime. It was no skin off her nose on what time she woke since it had been only been a few hours off and her work schedule begun around noon though she tended to open up shop earlier to get ahead. She gave herself some slack and time from work when her husband spent his first night here.

Gathering one of Gladiolus' buttoned shirts and donning it loosely on, she deemed that since they were just two people in their own exclusive home that it seemed unnecessary to get fully dressed.

Heading towards the door out of the bedroom, a waft of delicious food swept over her. "Mmm… Smells like heaven." Letting her nose take the lead, her brief journey ended when she laid her eyes on a sight she'll never forget.

Gladiolus was standing in front of a stove skillfully flipping pancakes. Cidney's never seen him cook before, but that could be because of their long distance relationship so he may have picked up a few things in the time apart. He didn't take any real effort to get dressed than put on some boxers and sporting on one of Cidney's frilly 'Kiss the Cook' aprons. There was music playing softly and Gladiolus was exaggerating his movements to the rhythm of the song.

"Well, I must be struck dumb and blind but I do think my hubby's actually making pancakes." She noted, amazed that nothing was on set on fire or closely smoke obscuring the view of the kitchen. _Speaking of views… _She watched the shapely posterior hugged by a lone article of clothing as she leaned against a wall. _He sure ain't looking too bad with my apron on him…_

"Thought I'd treat my lady to a special breakfast." Gladiolus cocked his head over his shoulder, flashing her a grin. Armed with a spatula and a skillet, he added the pancake in it to another layer to a stack of pancakes he prepared. "Just give me some mix and I could whip up some pancakes. But I couldn't find any… So I made blueberry pancakes from scratch. Wasn't too hard." Setting down the skillet and a plate of pancakes on the counter, he reached over to pull a chair out for Cidney to sit at.

_Looks like he's doing fine and nothing seem to be burning…_ Allowing her husband to push it in, she sat, taking in the sight of how Gladiolus had worked to set up the plates, silverware, and even a freshly picked flower for the center piece of the table. He had begun to pour their mugs with coffee. "I reckon this is the reason why you didn't wake me."

This is the first time Gladiolus had ever cooked a meal for her. It was usually her that did the cooking and she learned to do it well from her grandmother. Whenever he visited her, he would be unresponsive at her attempts to wake him up in the morning that she eventually left him in bed while she got up to start her day. On her days off, she compromised with staying in bed with him and dozing a little longer until he woke her up. Cidney found that cooking breakfast for him was futile since it would get cold while he slept away. She had assumed that he didn't cook since he told her when outside the crown city of Insomnia, he either lived off Ignis' cooking or MREs, the latter pretty revolting when she took a bite from a parcel at some point.

"I tried waking you, babe," Gladiolus put down the coffee pot and leaned down to peck her cheek. "You were out like a light. Must have been after last night…"

She wheeled her head around to find that he was being suggestive yet again and waggling his eyebrows at her. Before she could come up with a retort, her gaze settled on the scarlet bruises alongside his neck and collarbone. A flush crept up to her cheeks as she hastily injected with, "You're not gonna bother with covering up?"

"Why? Should I?" He proudly remarked, leaning back and stroking the side of his side of his neck. "I treat them like battle trophies… These too." He turned around, raising his thumbs to his back at the faint but fresh claw marks scored on his tattooed back. His fingers brushed lightly on Cidney's matching love bites, his words apologetic not matching with the appeased tone at his handiwork. "Should I make a run to the store to pick up some makeup or a scarf for you, Mrs. Amicitia?"

She batted him off, laughing. "No, because y'all find only more places to nip and you're getting pretty creative at it." Cidney would get asked by customers and even Cid about the source of those marks, though the grandmother learned that it was not to question those anymore the frequent Gladiolus' visits were, but it still made the head mechanic red head to toe about having to deceive those inquiries with bug bites, which were acceptable in the spring and summer - not so much during the fall and winter, but she stuck to that story firmly. It didn't help to sound convincing when she imagines Gladiolus' smug mug in her thoughts about it.

Still, there's something erotic about being marked by your lover, she grew to realize. She only covered and concealed the most obvious spots but she accepted them as reminders to remember her husband by while he's away while they faded from purple to brown to healed. It felt strange to constantly cover them up with makeup and bandages and they have an arousing effect whenever he eyes the love bites when they're in the open. His favorite places to nip her were her neck and her hips, never roughly applied, just a brief pinch.

"You should get some concealer for yourself for before you head on back to Lucis. It'll be unprofessional to the kingdom if you show up with those!"

"The stuffy and scratchy uniform covers it all no problem, Cidney. But the boys like the story that I was off battling a sexy vixen and I won but just barely and the love bites are my battle scars that I add on to the ones I already have."

Cidney was not impressed. "Uh huh…"

"Someone's frosty about artistic licensing. I'll tell you what: when you come up with an epic tale I should use instead, I'll tell them that, okay, babe?" He patted her shoulder fondly and went back to the counter to retrieve the pancakes. "But I know you're starving and nothing says 'I love you' more than a husband's cooking so dig in!"

She blinked at the large stack of pancakes before her and her mouth watered. "I don't think I could eat all of that."

"But I can." He boasted as he untied the apron and draped it over a hook.

"It's not a contest."

Gladiolus fetched a spatula and moved two pancakes on her empty plate. "I'm saying you eat as much as you want and I'll make more if I have to." He rubbed his stomach with a fabricated pained expression. "I haven't eaten any yet so think about your chef." His expression lit up as he neglected something and placed a jar of magenta syrup in front of Cidney's plate. "And can't forget the syrup."

Cidney halted, lowering the first piece of pancake she had cut away from her mouth. "I've never seen that jar before…" She indicated with her fork, glancing at Gladiolus. There was a bottle of maple syrup that she had bought and this was definitely not maple.

"Ah, you see…" The man rose from piling blueberry pancakes to his plate and clumsily scratched the back of his head. "I know how you like pomegranate and been craving for homemade syrup and I was talking to my mom and she made this to bring to you… She's pretty handy in this sort of thing."

Cidney giggled. Gladiolus' mother, her mother-in-law, 'Just call me Leto', Mama Carmellavár as she liked to refer herself took a shine on Cidney meeting her and took no surprise when she learned that she was to be her daughter-in-law. Her extension of love had no bounds in treating Cidney like a daughter even though the middle-aged noblewoman had two daughters of her own. Though heartbroken to hear that Cidney wasn't going to move in with the family, Carmellavár would make calls to her and Cidney initially thought she was calling about Gladiolus but the Amicitia matriarch wanted to speak with her, instantly striking up conversation.

Cidney reached over and unscrewed the lid off the jar and inhaled the contents. Immediately, she tilted the jar and spooned the syrup over her pancakes. With a forkful of pancake dabbed in syrup to her mouth, her eyes went wide with the warm buttery pancake goodness that practically melted in her mouth and the tangy fruit stimulating her senses. _The blueberries - they're so sweet and juicy!_ _Did he pick these himself?_ A moan of delight was heard by the man followed by one coherent praise, "Your mama is a true sweetheart!"

Gladiolus appeared relieved as though he had dodged a bullet. "Glad you like it. She showed me how to make it so now I can make your favorite syrup."

_He's so sweet for remembering what I like…_ She smiled, fork still in her mouth as she pushed the jar across the table to him to gesture to him to have some too.

"You're speechless, huh?" He chuckled, spooning some of the syrup over his own stack and proceeded to take a bite. He had to take Cidney's silence and nearly brought to tears of happiness to her eyes as her saying that his pancakes were beyond her expectations. "Guess I should have warned you that my pancakes are no joke."

"You gotta show me what else you can make. Maybe you can make lunch and dinner too."

"Uh… Right now, I can only make pancakes and syrup. Unless you want more pancakes."

"Seeing how wonderful these are, I wouldn't mind having pancakes again in the morning."

"All right! We got a menu then!"

"Gladiolus, Sweet Pea, you in there?"

The couple shared a look of alarm. They weren't expecting the Hammerhead and Coernix Station proprietor to be back so soon. Unfortunately, she owned a spare key to their home.

"Gran!"

"Cid!"

"Heavens! I thought you two would be dressed by now!"

There goes another intimate moment intruded upon.

Gladiolus laughed to himself while Cidney was blushing furiously and attempting to disarm her grandmother with apologies and that she had thought that the grandmother would be out much longer.

"Only long enough for you two to get it out of your system and for me to finish business in town." Cid scoffed. "Yes, I see you're half-naked and that's nothing new to me. I changed your diapers for Etro's sake, Cidney."

"Hey Cid, you hungry? I made pancakes." Gladiolus smirked, gesturing to his peace offering in the middle of the table. "I can always make more."

"You," The Róisín matriarch narrowed her eyes and snorted impolitely. "Hmph. Don't you go bribe me with pancakes. Finish up. You two have a long day ahead of you then maybe I'll leave you alone when you finish work. You want a vacation? Go where I can't reach you."

Gladiolus expected that much from his grandmother-in-law, there's a time and place for leisure with his wife and well, that just thwarts his plans on kidnapping Cidney for a quick intimate moment with her. While he is visiting his wife, it also meant spending time with the in-law as well.

END


End file.
